Patriot Rail owns and operates 13 short-line freight railroads operating on about 500 total rail miles in 13 states.

“We are excited about this investment, as it supports Patriot Rail's long-term strategy to expand the mechanical repair services within the rail industry," John Fenton, the company’s president and CEO, said in a statement. "Our operational strategy for Blue Ridge is designed to provide fleet owners with a network that delivers consistent, high-quality and responsive maintenance services that will reduce overall fleet downtime."

The Blue Ridge facility has 21 acres of land and 11,000 feet of track capacity, which allows for up to 130 "repair in progress" cars to be stored at any given time.

Blue Ridge will repair, clean, and paint a wide array of railcar types including boxcars, hoppers, gondolas, and flatcars.

Patriot Rail said a shortage of certified railcar repair facilities across North America is expected in coming years.

The Blue Ridge acquisition, finalized on Dec. 31, is scheduled to be fully operational in February.